Health regulatory world wide is informing health professionals of an ongoing safety review of the potential association between the diabetes drug Lantus (insulin glargine) and an increased risk of developing cancer.

A similar review was recently announced by the United States Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency in light of four recently published studies that looked at the use of Lantus and the development of various types of cancer in patients with diabetes.

There were four studies conducted and three results suggested a very slightly increased risk of cancer associated with use of Lantus, while the fourth study found no link between the drug and the development of cancer. All studies showed that the number of patients who developed cancer was small. The four studies were published in Diabetologia.

Lantus is a drug which is long-acting synthetic insulin similar to human insulin that is used to control blood sugar in people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. It has been marketed world wide by the company Sanofi-Aventis.

At this time, Health regulators have recommended that patients should not stop taking their insulin therapy without first consulting their physician, as uncontrolled blood sugar can have both immediate and long term serious health consequences. Patients should and must contact their health care professional if they have any concerns about the medicines they are taking.

Health regulators have not concluded that there is a relationship between Lantus and the development of cancer. The health department is currently assessing available safety data, including the studies, to better understand the risk, if any. Health regulators will inform health care professionals of new safety information as it emerges, as appropriate.

There are several other generic diabetes drugs available on generic medicine.com such as generic actos which is pioglitizone, generic ACTOSPlus Met which is combination pill that contains Actos + Metformin in the same pill, generic Amaryl which is glimepiride, generic Avandia which is rosiglitazone, generic Avandamet which is rosiglitazone maleate and metformin hydrochloride, generic Byetta which is Exantide, generic Duetact which is pioglitazone HCl and glimepiride, generic Galvus which is Vildagliptin, generic Glipizide, generic Glucophage which is metformin, generic Januvia which is sitagliptin phosphate, generic Starlix which is nateglinide and so on.